The Shadow Sister

 Meade, Lily. The Shadow Sister. 2023. 336p. ISBN 9781728264479.

Casey and her older sister Sutton have never gotten along. Sutton fondly remembers the days when she was the only child. She is judgmental, perfect, and an A student. From church to school to the community at large, everyone loves Sutton. Casey is different. She's nowhere close to perfect, and she hates Sutton just as much as her sister hates her. She can't relate to people who talk about having great relationships with their siblings. She can't believe that people don't see how manipulative her sister can be. She even stole the grandmother's heirloom bracelet Casey received after her death, then threw her own laptop down the stairs and blamed Casey for it so she would have to pay for a new one.

When her sister goes missing, the entire community gets behind the effort to find her and bring her back. Usually, people don't spend much effort on finding a missing Black girl. And in the last few months, three of them have disappeared. Casey is not sad to see her sister gone, but deep down she misses es her a little. Is Sutton gone because of their fight over their grandmother's heirloom bracelet? A bloody shoe is found in the park where Sutton likes to run, and the family fears the worst. A week later, Sutton is found bloodied and disoriented. She doesn't remember what happened to her, her best friends, her boyfriend, or even her childhood. She does remember Casey, however. 

With Sutton back, Casey expects things to return to normal and thinks that Sutton is faking it to get back at her. But when her mood doesn't change, Casey is forced to acknowledge her sister is different. She now hums old spirituals, and she's fascinated by her new fish. Casey begins to dig into her sister's old and broken computer. The more she discovers, the more worried she gets. Her sister was investigating her cheer coach for abusive practices. She lent her boyfriend her car. Then she disappeared on the same day. What terrible thing happened to her sister while she was gone? Where are the other missing girls? Why doesn't anyone seem to care? As Casey delves deeper into the mystery surrounding her sister's disappearance, she uncovers a web of secrets, lies, and danger.

Fans of mysteries will appreciate exploring a dysfunctional family and the sibling rivalries taking place between Sutton and Casey. Told in alternating fashion from Casey's perspective from Sutton's disappearance and from Sutton's perspective prior to her disappearance, the reader will enjoy the suspenseful and thought-provoking narrative.

A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power

 Carter, Jimmy. A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power. 2014. 211p. ISBN 9781476773957. 

Despite the advances made by women's rights in the last quarter century, discrimination and violence of all kinds continues to afflict the female population of the world, stealing their human rights and depriving humanity of its potential. In A Call to Action, former President Jimmy Carter lays out the plight women and girls encounter around the world today, and provides startling examples of this oppression. World leaders have used excuses such as religious texts and strict interpretations of gender norms to repress and exploit their female population. Possible solutions are presented, but it will not be until societies around the globe change their view and recognize women's vital roles that things will get better.

Mere Christianity

Lewis, C. S. Mere Christianity. 2009. 1942. 227p. ISBN 9780060652883

What is Christianity? On the surface, this seems easy to answer: A faith that believes in Christ and a loving God who provided his son to redeem our sins, making the world a better place. But when you dig down deeper, you suddenly realize that the solid rock on which the faith is build fritters away. However, there is a solid foundation that is common across all denominations of Christianity, whether it be Orthodox, Protestant, Catholic, or other. In Mere Christianity, Lewis sets out to explore the commonality that marks the experience of every Christian. A believer, Lewis does not set out to convert in this book, but rather to explain why Christianity as a faith can be so powerful to salve the soul and satiate one's spiritual hunger. Those interested in learning more about the faith, and those interested in religious arguments, will appreciate the concise yet well thought out arguments Lewis makes in defense of Christianity.

How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe

Cahill, Thomas. How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe. 1996. 246p. ISBN 9780385418492.

Often maligned in popular culture, the Irish suffered through English colonization and the resulting oppression and disasters that followed. Despite their assumed lack of civilization, the Irish are responsible for saving Western civilization following the fall of Rome. Once an isolated backwater not conquered by the Roman Empire, the Christian monks that were kidnapped or that found refuge in Ireland brought with them the works of classical Greeks and Roman writers, and also preserved Jewish and early Christian writings. 

A confluence of events following the decline and fall of the Roman Empire brought chaos everywhere in Europe except in Ireland, where its remoteness allowed its culture to continue. A fairly egalitarian society, the Irish welcomed refugees who brought with them their own books and traditions. The aesthetic life of congregating in communities of learners saw the rise of monastic orders dedicated to the preservation of knowledge. Much of what we know of the writings of the antiquity survived through their efforts.

As states rose on the ruins of what the Romans had built and enough order was restored, monks began to travel from Ireland back to England and thence to continental Europe, bringing with them a renewed Christianity, along with knowledge that has vanished from the collective memory. Through the hard work and dedication of Irish monks, the heritage of Western Civilization was preserved and shared with a newly awakening world, rebuilding the foundation of a renewed civilization we still enjoy today!

Fans of history will love hearing about the tales of the unconquered Irish, what is known of Ireland before the arrival of the English, and how various male and female religious orders evolved and grew over two centuries of consequential changes. Without the Irish, our world would look very different indeed!

Wholehearted Faith

Held Evans, Rachel. Wholehearted Faith. 2021. 256p. ISBN 978-0-06-289447-2.

An up and coming Christian author, blogger, and conference presenter who underwent a profound questioning of her faith in her late teens and early twenties, Rachel Held Evans wrote about her struggles with the Christianity currently being offered by mainstream and evangelical denominations. Held Evans died suddenly in 2019, leaving behind a large quantity of musings and writings. Jeff Chu assembled this material into Wholehearted Faith, a book that examines what it means to believe with your whole heart. 

The Bible tells many stories, some of which are used to justify genocide and atrocities. Held Evans sought to question those narratives that assign specific gender roles and that govern relationships with God and with others. She wondered, for example, why some Christians would assume that God would banish those that do not even know he exists to hell for not believing in him. Under such a belief systems, Nazis who executed thousands of Jews would have a chance at redemption, but their victims would not. Held Evans saw something profoundly unfair about such a belief system, something God most certainly did not intend.

Through her writing, Held Evans examines her own relationship with God, and what it means to be placing your full faith in a higher being. She does not have the answers to the universal question of why believe, but she presents a solid case about what it means to be a Christian today.

Ruthless Gods

 Duncan, Emily A. Ruthless Gods. Book 2 of the Something Dark and Holy series. 544p. ISBN 9781250195692. Available as an audiobook from the library.

Following Malachiasz's transformation into an almost god in Wicked Saints, the Black Vulture escaped the Tranavia capital and withdrew with his forces to the salt mines, leaving Nadya confused and upset at the depth of his betrayal. Serafin, for his part, ascended the Tranavian throne following his rebirth, but the cost of his death means that he is now plagued by visions of a being older than the gods. His nobles are plotting his demise, and they have sufficient evidence that Nadya's papers are forged, and that she is instead Kalyazin's lone cleric. 

With her life in danger, Nadya flees the capital and first heads to the salt mine, hoping to rescue a noble girl that was given to the vultures. There she discovers that Kostya, a childhood friend from the monastery, has been imprisoned in the dark. Torn and given the choice by Malachiasz to only pick one, she chooses to free Kostya at the expense of her mission to free the noble girl. Her feelings for the Black Vulture are such that when Malachiasz agrees to join her for what she thinks will be his ultimate sacrifice at the sacred Kalyazin mountain, she is secretly thrilled she will be spending more time with him.

Returning to her friends, they head out west towards Kalyazin, but are soon separated. Sefarim is captured by Kalyazin troops led by the heiress to the throne, and manages to convince her they need to head to the sacred mountain. Nadya and her friends, for their part, continue to travel through dangerous country to end the rift that opened the gate for the banished gods and for even older beings, who have taken a sudden interest in the world. As they head into danger, is Nadya ready to sacrifice the creature that was once Malachiasz, and for whom she still has feelings, or is she still but a pawn in his long game to secure himself the title of god? Can Serafim, for his part, break free from the bonds that bind him to an elder being?

Wicked Saints

Duncan, Emily A. Wicked Saints: Let Them Fear Her. Book 1 of the Something Dark and Holy series. 385p. ISBN 9781250195661. Available as an audiobook from the library.

The nations of Kalyazin and Tranavia were once ruled by holy men who could commune with the gods and call upon them to draw magical powers. Tranavia overthrew its clerics in a bloody revolution and began using blood magic to the same effective effect as divine magic. For more than a hundred years, both countries have been in a state of war, with residents of Kalyazin viewing those of Tranavia as little more than godless heretics dabbling in the dark art of blood magic. For their part, Tranavians view Kalyazinians as intolerant bigots to claim to talk with gods.

Thirty years ago, the last of Kalyazin cleric was killed in battle and became a saint. Since then the country has not had a champion who could communicate directly with the gods. Then Nadya came along. Unlike most clerics, who are favored by one deity, Nadya has the ear of the entire Kalyazin pantheon. Her life is worth so much due to the powers she can harness that she was hidden away in a monastery, to hone her skills. When the monastery, which sits atop a mountain 7,000 steps high, falls to an assault team led by Serafin, the High Prince of Tranavia himself, Nadya is barely able to escape with her life through tunnels.

At war for more than 3 years, Serafin is weary of it all and the only thing that consoles him is the bottle. He longs for a day when this war is finally done and he is able to return home. Rumors have reached him that his father the King is displeased with him, and Serafin thought that capturing the cleric Kalyazin had done so much to hide away would finally gain him acceptance.  But she somehow escaped his clutches.

In the forest below the mountain, Nadya encounters Malachiasz, who was once a Vulture, a Tranavian so corrupted by blood magic that he has transcended part of his humanity and has turned into a monster. Wanted by Tranavia, Malachiasz has united a small band of defectors who plan to assassinate the King of Tranavia and impose a peace between the two warring parties. She hesitantly enters into an alliance of sorts with the dark boy, since their end goals are currently the same. They make their way to the Tranavian capital, where the King has called for a ceremony to find his son a wife. Recalled from the front, Serafin also returns, now more than ever convinced that someone is trying to assassinate him, and that person very well may be his own father!

As the three of them navigate the treacherous waters of power, can they trust in one another to see their plan come to fruition?

Like No Other

 LaMarche, Una. Like No Other.  2014. 368p. ISBN 9781595146748. Available at FIC LAM on the library shelves.

New York City has always been divided by invisible lines. Race, religion, wealth, sexual orientation, all of these elements allow people to find others with similar interests, but also serve to build barriers and keep those who are different apart. 

In Brooklyn, one such neighborhood is clearly divided by race and religion. On one side of the neighborhood are the Hasidic Jews with large families and orthodox views. On the other side, African Americans and immigrants trying to capture the American dream. The two groups rarely mix.

Devorah is a good Hasidic girl. When her sister Rachel delivers her baby at 18, Devorah is there to support her at the hospital, since her parents are away on business. A storm causes the power to go out, and Devorah finds herself stuck in the elevator for an African American male teenager. Jaxon came to hospital with his best friend, who broke his arm performing a skateboarding stunt designed to impress a girl. 

At first the two of them are quiet, but Jaxon quickly breaks the glass. Devorah panics. It is not okay for a good girl to talk to a boy without a chaperone present. As they find common interests and similarities in their lives, however, they begin to fall in love with each other, something both of them are aware could be very dangerous if their respective communities found out.

Following their chance encounter, Jaxon and Devorah find ways to meet again and even exchange kisses. Devorah's strict upbringing and stricter father, however, does not approve. Worse, Rachel's husband, a nosey busybody, tries to get Devorah in trouble, claiming he is worried for her soul. Jaxon, for his part, lies to his parents and sneaks around their back, saying he is with his best friend while he is in fact with Devorah.

Planning a weekend getaway, the two of them are caught, and Devorah is exiled upstate to a Hasidic reform center where it is expected she will rejoin the fold. Devorah is not interested, however, and wishes to escape the strict constricts of her religious faith. Jaxon, meanwhile is desperate. How can he find her? With the two separated by more than distance, can they manage to bind their love together?

Live Fearless: A Call to Power, Passion and Purpose

Robertson, Sadie. Live Fearless: A Call to Power, Passion and Purpose. 2018. 196p. ISBN 978-1-40030939-9. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Hailing from the Duck Dynasty family, Sadie Robertson has suffered many challenges in her life, but has determined never to give in to loneliness and fear. Plagued with doubts throughout her youth, Sadie rediscovered God and learned to place her trust in a higher power who could guide her and inspire her to make the most of her life.

Filled with inspirational details about how she triumphed over the fears that held her back and dominated her life, Sadie proposes solutions that will work for some people, and guidance on how others can find what passionates and motivates them to achieve the greater good. Whether one believes or not, Sadie's story is both purposeful and uplifting.

Seeker

Rossi, Veronica. Seeker. Book 2 of the Riders series. 2017. 352p. 620 mins. ISBN 978-1-42728735-9. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

In Riders, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse worked with their seeker, Daryn, to prevent Samrael and his demons from the Kindred from taking over the world by opening a portal. Unfortunately, Sebastian, one of the horsemen, was dragged by Samuel through a dark dimension that Daryn opened and then sealed. Now eight months have passed, and Daryn has disappeared, plagued with the guilt of what happened to Sebastian and with the lost of her Sight.

Gideon, Marcus and Jod have been looking for Daryn since her disappearance after the epic confrontation with the Kindred. Working closely with a secret government entity, they hope to re-open the dimension and retrieve Sebastian from the clutches of Samrael. But Daryn is essential for their purpose and she must be found. Finally tracked to Wyoming the night that Daryn attempts to infiltrate the dimension by herself, the team reunites and develops a plan. An entire team of special forces will follow the three horsemen and Daryn in, retrieve Sebastian, and seal the dimension forever.

Unfortunately the plan goes awry. Some of the soldiers are killed, and many are wounded. Unable to successfully bring their mission to completion, the head of the operation cancels any other attempt. It is now up to Daryn, Gideon, and their friends to rescue Sebastian before it is too late.

Told in alternating chapters from Daryn and Gideon’s point of view, their attempts to bring Sebastian back is filled with tension and action. A page-turner, Seeker provides a satisfying conclusion to this duology.

All the Crooked Saints

Stiefvater, Maggie. All the Crooked Saints. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780545930802. Available both on the library shelves at FIC STI and as an audiobook from Overdrive.

In a dusty desert corner of mid-1960s Colorado stands Bicho Raro, a small ranch populated by the extended Soria family and by pilgrims, people who have come to Bicho Raro seeking miracles. Members of the  Soria family possess the unique ability to perform miracles. The first miracle reveals the truth about a person. The second miracle frees that person from that truth. There are three types of pilgrims: Those whose first and second miracle happen almost simultaneously, those who need time to deal with their issue and accept the truth, and those who never complete the second miracle. Travelers from all over the United States come here, sometimes with nothing but a sense of desire for change, guided here by the pull of miracles.

Daniel Soria is the current saint, but when he falls in love with Marisita, who is perpetually under a cloud of rain, and refuses to remove her wedding dress. Sorias and pilgrims are not supposed to mix, and anytime a Soria has attempted to help a pilgrim things have gone bad for the Soria, and three lifesize wooden statues of Soria ancestors demonstrate that. Having endangered himself, Daniel runs to the desert so his family cannot help him.

Beatriz and Joaquin Soria are cousins, and they have built a pirate radio station out of an old pickup truck. Cruising the desert at night, they broadcast a low signal to whomever is listening in their corner of the desert. When it becomes clear that Daniel took a radio with him and is listening to them, the cousins decide to keep broadcasting and invite Marisita to sit down for a live interview. Beatriz is emotionless and rational, much like her father, but deep down, could there still be hope for her? Joaquin wants to become a professional broadcaster, but who in the desert will ever hear his voice and give him a chance?

Pete is on his way from Oklahoma to Bicho Raro because he saw a sell ad for a pickup truck. He’s picked up by a disc jockey from Philadelphia, who’s also pulled towards Bicho Raro for his own reasons. A hard worker, Pete is the only person at the ranch who is neither a Soria nor a pilgrim. All he wants is to purchase the truck, but now it’s used as a radio station. And why is Beatriz so alluring?

As miracles are performed, and the Soria family struggles with rescuing Daniel from the desert, a disparate cast of characters works through their issues and darkest fears, hoping to ultimately find themselves and shed what holds them back from a better life.

Stiefvater once again offers a masterful book with excellent character development and an engaging plot. Fans of The Scorpio Races and of the Raven Boys will enjoy this standalone story of a dysfunctional family with a hint of paranormal activity.

Freakling

Krumwiede, Lana. Freakling. Book 1 of the Psi Chronicles series. 2012. 309p. ISBN 0-7636-5937-1. Available at FIC KRU on the library shelves.

The city and countryside of Deliverance has lived at peace ever since its people, led by Nathan, removed themselves from the Republic and sought shelter behind an impassable chain of mountains. Persecuted for their abilities to manipulate their environment through psionics powers, specifically telekinesis, psy wielders found rest and created a new society. That society is now in danger, however, as the priesthood seeks to gain control of psy weapons and enter in an alliance with the Republic against its enemies.

Twelve-year-old Taemon has never known any other world. He uses psi to eat, dress, wash, open locks and turn on the lights. His older brother, Yens, hopes to become a psi ball professional player so he can escape the fate of becoming a religious teacher like his father. For Taemon, however, he still has a year left before he needs to make a decision. When the head priest, Elder Naseph, announces that the True Son prophesized by Nathan has arrived, all eyes turn to Yens, who demonstrates an understanding of psi beyond his years.

However Yens is evil. He attempts to kill Taemon by throwing him over a cliff, and only Taemon’s clairvoyance saves him from drowning. In the process, he loses access to his telekinetic abilities. Having to fake your way through life without the ability to manipulate the environment through his mind, Taemon is soon discovered to be psi-less, and is sent to the Colony, a space reserved for those people who do not have psi.

There Taemon discovers people who do things the old fashioned way: with their hands. He begins a new trade, and makes new friends, including Amma, a beautiful girl. But even in the Colony there are secrets. Why is there a door hidden in Amma’s house that is locked by psi when no one has any here? Why are people disappearing in Deliverance? As secrets are revealed, Taemon must decide if he is willing help his people, knowing that this help will come at a deadly price.

Buddha Boy

Koja, Kathe. Buddha Boy. 2003. 128p. ISBN 9780142402092. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

When Justin first sees Michael, he finds him rather odd. Not wearing a coat in winter, and begging for food in the cafeteria, Michael, who goes by the name Jinsen but who is mocked and called Buddha Boy by the other students, approaches life with the thoughts of being at peace with the universe. Justin doesn’t get it. Why is Jinsen always smiling, despite the insults and physical abuse other students hurl at him?

Then the worst happens. Justin is paired with Jinsen during economics. They are to work together on a game. Jinsen invites Justin over to his house to work on their project, and Justin discovers that Jinsen lives in a nice house and owns more art supplies than Justin has ever seen. Very artistic, Jinsen designs the visual elements of the game, while Justin creates the paper. Impressed by Jinsen’s art, Justin tells him he should join art class. Jinsen does so, and joins Justin’s table, much to the dismay of his friends.

As Justin gets to know Jinsen, he realizes that the boy is both talented and deeply committed to his faith. Justin begins to question himself on the value of faith and belief. He witnesses Jinsen being abused by other students on more than one occasion, but Jinsen always keeps a smile on his face. However, every instance of bullying challenges Justin to be more than a bystander. With his friendship with Jinsen deepening, Justin finds himself having to make a tough decision. Should he continue to remain quiet so he better fit in the social structure of his school, or should he stand up for someone who is so different but whose personality is such a ray of warm sunshine in an otherwise dreary life?

Friends and faith mix really well in this beautifully written book about the power of one individual to change the lives of many people. Fans of realistic fiction will enjoy exploring the world of Justin’s high school and the drama that Jinsen refuses to participate in.

Riders

Rossi, Veronica. Riders. Book 1 of the Riders duology. 2016. 384p. ISBN 9780765382542. 658 mins. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Gideon Blake’s father has always been his role model, A soldier in the U.S. Army, his father instilled in him discipline and a logical mind. But when his father suffered a heart attack and died while on the roof of a house they were working on, Gideon lost his compass and direction. Graduating from high school, he decides to join the Army like his father and, following basic training, enters the U.S. Army Ranger school. During his fifth parachute jump, Gideon’s main parachute does not open, nor does the emergency parachute. The odds of this happening are millions to one. Gideon manages to deploy his emergency parachute, but it is too late to avoid crashing down to the ground. Gideon hits the ground so hard that he dies from the impact.

He is revived by paramedics and transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he is told he will never be a Ranger due to the gravity of his injuries. He is informed that it will take at least six months for him to heal. Transported back home to California to recuperate, he notices a strange metal bracelet on his arm, and no one seems to know where it came from. He also heals very quickly. It’s only been a day back home and he can already walk without a crutch. Gideon wonders what happened to him.

A day later, at a party hosted by his sister at her residence on the university campus, he meets Daryn, an intriguing girl who begs him to leave with her at once. Puzzled, Gideon refuses. The party is crashed by three people itching for a fight, and when Gideon perceives that his sister is threatened he fights back, only to realize that his opponents are not humans, and one of them can even control his thoughts. Chasing after them, Gideon stumbles upon Daryn who had fled the party and is hiding in his Jeep. She reveals to him that he is War, the embodiment of one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, and that he must help save the world from the Kindred, demons who joined Satan in his rebellion against God but then eventually rebelled against Satan too. This Kindred seek to open a gateway to control a new world and escape their hunters. Daryn, as a Seeker, has that key. Armed with a cool sword and a fiery horse, Gideon and Daryn must now travel the world and find the other horsemen before the Kindred closes in.

Now in custody of the U.S. government, Gideon must convince the powers that be that they have to release him before it is too late. But how do you convince someone that you are one of the standard bearers of the Bible’s last chapter before it is too late?

The Inferno

Alighieri, Dante. The Inferno. 2002. 694p. ISBN 0-385-49698-2. Available at 458 DAN or as an audiobook on Overdrive.

The poet Dante wrote the Divine Comedy over 700 years ago, and this trip of salvation from the depths of Hell to Paradise has struck the imagination ever since. The vivid descriptions of Hell, present in The Inferno, the first part of the Divine Comedy, have illustrated the Christian world’s understanding of the life of a sinner and the consequences of unrepentance.

Lost in the forest on the eve of Good Friday, Dante meets the ghost of Virgil, sent to guide him through Hell then on to Paradise so he can write about his experience and let his contemporary know the power of God. The gates of Hell are clearly labeled “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” Dante and Virgil travel through the nine circles of Hell and confront  limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, wrath, heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery, before encountering Satan himself and departing out of Hell.

An allegory of sin, Dante’s Inferno continues to promote debate about the meaning of Hell and its place in today’s secular societies.

Burned

Hopkins, Ellen. Burned. 2006. 532p. ISBN 1-44249461-1. Available at FIC HOP on the library shelves.

Pattyn Von Stratten has always been a good Mormon girl. The eldest of seven girls, she’s been helping her mother raise her sisters, and has often questioned the purpose God has for her. But when she has her first sex dream about a boy at her school, Pattyn suddenly finds herself moving away from God and the teachings of the Church of Latter Day Saints. It doesn’t help that her father is a violently abusive and alcoholic husband.

As she begins to experience love, Pattyn starts neglecting her familial duties and experiences a crisis of faith. Caught in a compromising position with a boy named Derek, her father sends Patty away to live with his sister for the summer. Aunt Jeannette and her father had a major disagreement when they were young. He had threatened to kill both her and her boyfriend at the time. Jeannette lives in rural Nevada hours away from a city. There, Pattyn meets Ethan, and soon the two are lovers.

Pattyn’s happiness soon collides with reality. Her mother is pregnant again, and about to deliver. Pattyn must return home to help her, but at the same time she will be returning to be tormented by her abuser. Is Ethan’s love strong enough to allow Pattyn to endure her situation until she turns eighteen?

This book is another great e. lockhart novel. If you enjoyed it, be sure to read We Were Liars by the same author.

Persian Myths

Sarkhosh Curtis, Vesta. Persian Myths. 1998. 80p. ISBN 0-292-71158-1. Available at 299 CUR on the library shelves.

Occupying a strategic between India and China to the East and the Mediterranean world to the West, Iran has always been a land of conflict and contrast. Like other great civilizations before, the Iranians have foundational myths that explain the rise of the nation and the battles it had to fight to secure its existence. Traditional tales feature confrontation between holy kings and mighty heroes against armies led by evil men, demons and dragons. Supernatural creatures such as Simergh, a magical bird from the tallest mountain, or Rakhsh, the mightest horse of the hero Rustam, populate these tales and attempt to explain the world as it was.

The arrival of Islam in the seventh century saw a shift from Zoroastrianism to Islam, but the myths and legends of ancient Iran were too powerful to disappear and were instead coopted by the new religion. These tales, which include the original Thousands and One Night, were distributed orally through minstrels, storytellers and religious leaders, but were eventually documented in several books such as the Avesta, the holy book of the Zoroastrians, as well as the Shahnameh, the Book of Kings.

These myths and legends fueled Iranian art over more than six centuries and continue to provide inspiration for modern adaptations. Fans of myths will enjoy reading familiar tales of good versus evil in an unfamiliar setting, and will appreciate the rich culture of ancient Iran.

Siddhartha

Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. 2010. 326 mins. 170p. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Raised in a rich family, young Siddhartha has always questioned the purpose of life. Wishing to discover himself and his reason for living, he argues with his father that he must depart the religious caste he was born in so that he can pursue enlightenment. With his friend Govinda, he decides to abandon society and join the Shramanas, a group of aesthetics who live a simple life and neither own nor owe anything. After three years, however, Siddhartha still does not feel any closer to enlightenment. Hearing that the Buddha is speaking in a neighboring district, the two companions leave the Shramanas.

Convinced of the just cause of Buddha, Govinda readily joins as a monk, but Siddhartha cannot. He speaks with Buddha, and reveals that what he seeks is not a teacher who will tell him, but the experiences necessary to reach self-awareness and the true meaning of himself. He wanders through the forest, and meets a simple ferryman who appreciates the river for what it is. Siddhartha promises the ferryman he will one day return.

In the city he meets Kamala, a courtesan, and soon Siddhartha rejoins the ranks of urban dwellers, becomes a merchant, and accumulates a fortune. Unfortunately, this path is also not enough to discover himself, so he drops everything and heads back into the forest, hoping to die. At his lowest moment in life, he is saved by Govinda, who happens to stumble upon him by the river. Vowing to live again, Siddhartha reconnects with the ferryman and learns the secrets of the river, that everything is cyclical and united.

His last encounter with Kamala led to a son, and when Kamala travels through the forest and is bitten by a poisonous snake, she and her son are rescued by Siddhartha. As he raises his son after Kamala’s death, he realizes that the river is right. Just as he needed to leave to find himself, so does his son. Having now achieved wisdom, Siddhartha imparts what he has learned to his old friend Govinda when both of them are old men, that suffering and rejection, peace and tranquility, and wisdom and understanding are all interconnected and dependent on each other. That, according to Siddhartha, is the true enlightenment.

Siddhartha is panned by Tom Henderson in King Dork as being a pompous book that seeks to go against its own understanding, by aiming to teach a mismatch of Buddhists, Taoists, Hinduists and Christian ideas.

Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods

Riordan, Rick. Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods. 2014. 336p. ISBN 978-1423183648. Available at FIC RIO on the library shelves.

When first asked by his editor to write a compendium on the Greek Gods, Percy Jackson is hesitant. After all, as a demi-god himself, he could catch a lot of flak from the Titans and the Olympians. But after thinking it over, he decides that such a book would be very helpful for mere mortals to understand the relationships between the rulers of Olympia.

Told from Percy’s perspective, this book presents a concise history of the twelve Olympians, as well as that Gaea and her children, the Titans. Each God and Goddess gets his or her own profile, including how they came about to be and what they have been up to since, all in the unmistakable voice of a teenager.

Beautifully illustrated, this volume is a must for the lovers of the Percy Jackson series and for those who want a hilarious look at the lives of the Greek Gods.

The Bone Chapel

Gordon, Nick. The Scariest Places on Earth: The Bone Chapel. 2015. 24p. ISBN 978-1-600-14-946-7. Available at 393.1 GOR on the library shelves.

The Bone Chapel is one of the creepiest places on Earth. Found in the small town of Kutná Hora, the Chapel’s interior walls have been decorated with the bones of more than 40,000 people. Built in the 1200, the town became famous when a local monk returned from Jerusalem with dirt from the Holy Land. Suddenly, everyone wanted to be buried here. The Black Death added even more bodies. Eventually, the area became saturated with bones, and as new bodies were buried older ones were taken out, and their bones piled in the Chapel, transforming it in a giant crypt.

In 1870, Frantisek Rint was commissioned to deal with the bones. He created a morbid yet fascinating display of bones throughout the Chapel, with columns, chalices, a coats of arm, and even a chandelier, all made of bones.

Tourists today continue to visit this site, and most report an eery feeling of death but also of calm. You won’t believe the pictures in this book!